Massachusetts beach extends swimming ban due to ‘persistent’ shark sightings; dog owners told to keep dogs out of water

A popular local beach will continue to ban swimming because of “persistent” great white sightings amid peak shark season.

Crane Beach in Ipswich has had a swimming closure for weeks due to white shark sightings along the North Shore beach. That swimming ban has now been extended through the end of October, according to the Trustees of Reservations.

“For the last few weeks, we have had persistent Great White Shark sightings off of Crane Beach,” a spokesperson for the Trustees said in a statement on Tuesday. “We had the beach closed to swimming week by week as we worked with local public safety officials and marine biologists.

“Sharks are still being sighted, as recently as yesterday when the Ipswich Harbormaster did a patrol, so we decided after consulting with our experts to keep the beach closed to swimming through October,” the spokesperson added.

The Trustees are urging dog owners to keep their dogs out of the water due to the sharks being spotted close to shore.

“Today the beach did open to dog walking, but out of an abundance of caution, we are asking folks to keep their dogs out of the water,” the spokesperson said. “October 1 usually marks the end of the shorebird nesting season at Crane, thus we allow dogs back on the beach.”

While swimming is banned, the beach remains open for walking, hiking, and other recreation.

These shark sightings come amid peak season for white sharks along Cape Cod and Massachusetts.

September and October are typically very busy for great white shark activity along Cape Cod. Last year, September had the third most shark detections and October had the most shark detections, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Logbook.

Great white sharks hunt for seals along the Cape coast throughout the summer and fall. The sharks feed on seals close to shore.